Hunter X Hunter G2 REWRITE!
by OreozFox
Summary: (It's back and (hopefully) better than ever!) Twenty-three years have passed since Gon and his friends passed the Hunter Exam, and in those years, countless things have happened... Eleven-year-old Kuondo Freecss and his friends are preparing for the 310th annual Hunter Exam, but can they withstand its grueling conditions?
1. Chapter 1- The X Next X Generation

Twenty-three years had passed since Gon and his friends passed the Hunter Exam, and in those twenty-three years, a lot has happened. They learned Nen, fought Class A criminals, played through a rare Hunter game, went to war, with the Chimera Ants, and explored an unknown continent. And, though some took longer than others, they each achieved their goals. Now Gon and his friends have started families of their own.

Roughly ten or eleven years after the Chimera Ant war, four were born, destined to be Hunters.

* * *

Kuondo fiddled with his pencil, twirling it around with his fingers. At the front of his classroom, his teacher blabbed on about something he blocked out. He stifled a yawn.

"Pssst!"

Kuondo blinked and turned his head. Three seats over, Kuondo's best friend, a blonde boy named Pirro glared at him. He pointed to the teacher and mouthed ' _Pay attention!'._

"Pirro."

Pirro instantly perked up. "Yes, Mrs. Yukari?"

"Do you know what takes place six months from today?"

Pirro nodded eagerly. "Of course I do! It's the 310th Annual Hunter Exam!"

"Tch, know-it-all." another one of Kuondo's best friends, a dark-haired boy named Pietro, muttered, earning another glare from Pirro.

"That is correct. Is anyone in here planning to enter?"

A few raised their hands, including Kuondo, Pirro, Pietro, and Illuko, yet another friend of Kuondo's.

"Excellent. I do hope, though, that you aren't entering just to skip school. Anyway, there are Application Cards in the office if you're interested. They will be due on December 31st. That is all. Class dismissed."

Everyone got up and exited the room, all glad that the day was finally over.

Kuondo opened his locker, pulled out his backpack, and slipped it over his back. "I thought I was gonna die of boredom." he said as he headed down the hall and towards the lobby.

Pirro sighed behind him, slipping his bag over his shoulder. "It goes by faster when you actually _listen._ "

Kuondo shrugged. "That's easy for you to say. You understand all of that math."

"She wasn't even talking about math!"

"Really? Then what?"

"Anyway, we'd better pick up the Application cards at the office while we're here."

"Hey, are you listening? I wanna know!"

Pirro continued to ignore him, disappearing into the office and coming back with two Application cards in hand.

As they exited the school and embarked on their usual walk home, Kuondo gave up and changed the subject. "So, have you asked your dad about entering yet?"

Pirro flinched. "Ah, I forgot. But I'm sure he'll want me to! He's one of the best Blacklist Hunters out there, and his Nen Ability is awesome, too! He practically got all the Scarlet Eyes back _himself!_ And-"

"Pirro, your eyes did that thing again."

"Ah! Whoops!" Pirro exclaimed, his usually aquamarine eyes now burning a bright scarlet. He quickly closed them. "Calm down. Gotta calm down." he whispered, then opened his eyes again, back to their normal color. "Sorry, I got excited."

"So I see." Kuondo grinned. "I'll stop by your place and we can tell your dad the news together!"

Pirro smiled back. "Sounds like a plan!"


	2. Chapter 2- A Few X Familiar X Faces

Pirro lived a few blocks from Kuondo with his mother and father. Pirro's father, Kurapika, was a skilled Blacklist Hunter and the very last survivor of the Kuruta clan. He had also been a close friend of Kuondo's father's.

Pirro approached the doorway, reaching for his keys, but suddenly, he stopped. "Huh? The door's unlocked."

"Move over then!" Kuondo exclaimed, excited to tell Kurapika the news. He brushed past Pirro and swung open the door. "Hellooo Kuruta family!"

Pirro quickly followed, exasperated. "Kuondo, you can't just barge into someone's house!"

"Aw, c'mon, Pirro, I've been coming in here since I was a baby! It's like another home!"

As the small hallway opened up to the living room, Kuondo spotted Kurapika sitting in one of the chairs, a book in hand. He looked up, closing the book and putting it aside. "I thought I recognized that commotion. How was school?"

"It was awesome! In fact, we-"

"Were there no assignments today?" Pirro interrupted, casting a scowl at Kuondo.

"No, there wasn't. To be honest, I am quite bored." Kurapika's eyes turned to the sulking boy behind Pirro. "Hello, Kuondo. I wasn't expecting you over."

"I decided to come to see you react to the awesome news we have for you! You're gonna be so stoked!" Kuondo said eagerly, practically bouncing in place.

"Oh?"

Kuondo's excitement seemed to rub off on Pirro, who grinned and pulled out his Application Card. "We're entering this year's Hunter Exam!"

"...Oh." Kurapika blinked, but it didn't take long for a proud smile to creep onto his face. "I see. Well then…" he paused, getting up from his seat and heading over to a nearby closet, reaching inside and pulling out his old pair of bokken, "you'll need these, for starters."

Pirro's eyes widened. "You're giving them to me?"

"I was planning to for your birthday, but having them a little early can't hurt."

"Wow!" Pirro rushed over to his father, giving him a big hug. "Thanks, Dad! Thanks so much!"

Kurapika rested his hand on Pirro's head. "How about Gon and I take you boys to Whale Island for the summer to train? You'll need your strength to pass the Hunter Exam."

"Right!" Kuondo and Pirro said in chorus, before Kuondo picked up his backpack and ran out the door. "Thank you, Kurapika!"

"Kuondo! Where are you going?" Pirro yelled after him.

"Kuondo, be sure to tell Gon and Alluka when you get home! And give them my regards!" Kurapika called.

"I will!" Kuondo's distant voice rang out before fading completely.

Pirro groaned. "He only hears what he wants to hear."

Kurapika's gaze trailed to one of the many pictures hanging on the wall. His eyes fixed on one in particular. _That's the picture we had taken after we got Killua back from Kukuruu. That was twenty-three years ago…_ He looked back down at his son. _It looks like history_ does _repeat itself._

* * *

Kuondo closed the door behind him. "I'm home."

"There you are." Alluka appeared from the hallway, looking a bit fatigued. "I finally got Aliya to go to sleep."

Kuondo grimaced. "Was _I_ that hyper?"

Alluka shook her head. "You were worse."

Kuondo gave a crooked smile, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Oh! I almost forgot!" He took off his backpack and rummaged around before pulling out his Application Card. "I decided to enter the Hunter Exam this year!"

Before Alluka could reply, Kuondo heard the door open abruptly behind him.

"What did you say?!"

Kuondo whirled around to see his father, Gon, standing wide-eyed in the doorway.

Alluka pressed a finger to her lips with a stern face. " _Inside voices, sweetie._ "

Kuondo beamed. "Hey, Dad! Guess what I got at school?"

"Kuondo, you're not being any quieter!"

"Well, I thought I heard what you said, but could you repeat it?" Gon replied, though he had a good idea of what it was.

"Are you two even listening to me?"

"I'm applying for the Hunter Exam!"

"I _knew_ it!" Gon exclaimed, ruffling Kuondo's hair. "I _knew_ it was only a matter of time!"

Kuondo and his father had only begun to chatter about Hunters and the like when they both felt a firm hand on their back, nudging them out the door.

Kuondo cocked his head in confusion. "Mom? What're you-"

Before they knew it, they were out the door, standing on the patio.

"You two can come back in when Aliya wakes up." Alluka said before shutting them out.

Gon and Kuondo shared a look before bursting into laughter.

After they regained their composure, Gon put his hand on Kuondo's shoulder. "The Exam's gonna be really fun, but be careful, okay?"

Kuondo nodded. "I promise!"

* * *

(A.N: I'm back! XD

So, first of all, for the rewrite, there will be plenty of scenes that weren't in the original, so I hope you like them! :D

Second, the original character guide is no longer canon. Just thought I'd let you know XD

Finally, I decided that I won't have a curious question this time. I'm gonna change it up a little bit. Got any headcanons? xD)


	3. Chapter 3- A X Nostalgic X Sleepover

Within a month, school was over, and two more months passed as the boys trained at Whale Island to prepare for the difficulties of the Hunter Exam, studying the history of previous Exams and building themselves up physically by spending most of their time trying to thrive in the dense forests of Gon's former home.

When school started, the boys were pulled out to fit in a bit more training for the time leading up to the Exam.

Finally, on the night before their departure, Kuondo stayed the night at Pirro's house, but sleep was nearly impossible with their excitement.

Pirro appeared in the doorway, something blue and red folded in his arms.

"What's that?"

Pirro flashed an eager grin, holding the top and allowing it to unfold. It turned out to be a tabard with a simple design etched on it. "Dad wore this for the Exam!"

"Woah, cool!" Kuondo exclaimed, jumping up. "Lemme see that!"

Pirro held it up a bit, raising an eyebrow, then his face fell. "Ah, it's too big!"

"Well, duh, were you actually planning on wearing it?"

"Yeah."

"Kurapika was seventeen when he took the Exam! You're eleven, Pirro!"

"I'm aware of that. He just looked kind of short in the pictures."

"He wasn't, Leorio was just insanely tall."

Pirro cast one last longing look at the tabard before folding it back up and putting it down. "Nevermind. Hey, Kuondo, what kind of Hunter do you want to be?"

"Hmm… I suppose a Treasure Hunter, like in the books we read. You?"

"Obviously a Blacklist Hunter, like Dad! Can you imagine how fun it is to hunt down criminals _every day?_ "

"Pirro, your eyes."

"Oops!" Pirro shut his eyes and opened them again. "I got excited again."

"I can tell. Well, no matter how many criminals you beat down, you'll never be able to beat me in a fight!"

Pirro smacked him with a nearby pillow. "Is that so?"

Kuondo grabbed and wielded it like a weapon, charging at Pirro, causing a small pillow fight to evolve in to World War Three.

"You boys had better not be roughousing up there!" A stern voice called from downstairs.

"He started it!" Kuondo's muffled voice replied.

Kurapika sighed, heading up the stairs and appearing in the doorway. "Boys!"

Pirro shoved Kuondo off and gave his father a sheepish grin. "Hey, Dad, what's up?"

"You two shouldn't be making so much noise, Pirro. Your mother's not feeling well, remember?"

"Still?"

"Yes. She hasn't felt any better."

"Sorry." Pirro said softly.

"So you should be. Have you two even packed yet?"

"Uh-huh!" Pirro opened his bag, revealing the contents.

Kurapika arched an eyebrow. _It looks more like he's packed for a hike than the Hunter Exam._ "Well, alright, but you two need to get to bed. You need to have energy for tomorrow."

Kuondo frowned, but Pirro smiled and nodded. "Yeah! Illuko told us that kids should go to sleep early!"

"Funny hearing that from a kid who can go days without sleep. Illuna probably told him that to get a couple hours of quiet."

"C'mon, Kuondo, don't be like that. Illuna's not that bad."

"She told us to our faces that she didn't need friends."

Pirro's face became serious. "Those weren't her words."

"Alright, it's lights out, okay?" Kurapika said, gesturing towards the bed and turning off the the lights. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Kurapika closed the door behind him, heading back downstairs.

Of course he hadn't expected Pirro to apply for the Hunter Exam so early, but he had always had a feeling his son would be a Hunter.

He had for nearly ten years.

* * *

" _Kurapika's here, right?"_

" _Yep! He's in the living room."_

" _Thanks." Gon made his way to his destination._

" _Money can buy you anything. A big house, a cool car!"_

 _Gon stopped in his doorway as he heard the impression and the happy squeal it got in return. No way…_

 _His friend was holding a giggling infant up in the air, even laughing a bt himself. "Uncle Oreo's funny, isn't he? Wait until you meet him in person_

 _The infant laughed again before it spotted Gon. Its grin didn't fade as it held up his hand in a small wave._

" _What are you looking at, Pirro?" Kurapika turned around, blinking in surprise. "G-Gon? I almost didn't recognize you!" He put Pirro down, causing the latter to sulk, and headed over to his friend. His eyes lit up as he saw Gon had company. "And who's the little one? Don't tell me he's yours!"_

 _The dark-haired infant, realizing he'd been spotted, clung tighter to Gon, casting one shy look at Kurapika._

 _Gon grinned. "He's mine, alright. His name's Kuondo!"_

 _Kurapika smiled back and held out his hand, which Kuondo, dropping his shy facade, happily grabbed. "Hello there, Kuondo. He looks just like you, Gon!"_

 _Gon looked over the blonde's shoulder at Pirro, who was not-very-patiently waiting to regain attention. "Right back at ya. It's nice to see you happy again. It's comforting."_

 _Kurapika blinked again, a small smile reappearing. "Why shouldn't I be happy…" he began, turning around and picking Pirro back up, "when the Kurta bloodline is living on again?"_

* * *

And, just as it had been even then, Kuraoika couldn't be more proud of either of them.


	4. Chapter 4- A X Mysterious X Drink

Kuondo and Pirro both stared in awe at the huge train before them.

"Wow, it's so big! Do Hunters ride for free in these all the time?" Pirro exclaimed.

"Pirro, your eyes."

"Sorry!"

"Well, it looks like this is where we say goodbye." Kurapika said, kneeling to the boys' level and placing his hands on their shoulders. "Do your best, and remember that we'll all be proud of you, pass or not."

"You won't have to worry about that!" Kuondo replied, his eyes filled with a familiar, determined gleam. "We'll pass this year, without a doubt!"

Kuapika smiled a bit. "And make some friends, okay?"

"Dad, this isn't summer camp." Pirro teased, hugging his father.

The goodbyes were cut short by the shrill whistle of the train, heralding the approaching time for departure.

Kuondo and Pirro hurried onto the train, turning to give a final wave before disappearing.

The train was packed with people of all shapes and sizes. There were no empty seats in sight.

Pirro gave a nonchalant shrug. "Guess we're late."

"Hey, slowpokes!" A familiar voice called from down the aisle. It was Pietro, waving at them, with a bored-looking Illuko sitting next to him. "There's room over here!"

"You're a lifesaver, Pietro!" Kuondo called back, hurrying over to the seat across from him.

Pirro leaned out the window, calling out more goodbyes and waving entusiastically as the train began to move.

* * *

Only a few minutes passed, but it was enough for the excited boys to get antsy.

"Ugh, we've been in here _forever!_ " Kuondo eclaimed, slouching in his seat. "How much longer?"

Illuko checked his phone. "Dunno. It's been almost an hour." he paused. "There's someone coming anyway."

Moments later, the doors to the train car swung open and a formally-dressed man stepped in, followed by a few people pushing carts topped with glasses full of a mysterious liquid.

As the others began to serve the drinks, the man cleared his throat. "Your attention, please. Welcome to the 310th Hunter Exam. We will be arriving at the First Phase in two hours. Until then, enjoy the preliminary phase. You will each be served two drinks. It is up to you to decide which is poisoned,"

A perplexed whisper fell over the room.

"Do not be alarmed. The poison is not deadly. It's a sedative, meaning it will knock you out for several hours, so you will have no hopes of waking up in time for the first phase. In addition, you must drink at least one before the train stops, or you shall be disqualified." And with that, the man and the employees left the room as quickly as they had come.

"Now what do we do?" Kuondo wondered aloud as he glanced nervously at the glasses. "You think we can tell without tasting it?"

"Not likely." Pirro replied. "Anyone smart would use a drug that was clear and had no taste or scent."

"Know-it-all." Pietro muttered.

Pirro made a face at him before continuing. "So no, we wouldn't be able to tell until it's too late."

"But that's stupid!" Pietro exclaimed in exasperation. "This isn't testing our abilities! It's a game of pure chance!"

"I don't get what you're so worried about." Illuko said, leaning back in his seat. "Isn't it obvious what they're doing here?"

"Huh?" Kuondo and Pietro asked as Pirro brought his hand to his chin in deep thought.

Suddenly, Pirro's eyes lit up in realization. "I see!"

"Pirro, your ey-"

"Yeah, yeah, shut up a moment. This isn't a game of chance at all, because both drinks are poisoned!" Pirro explained in a hushed voice.

"What?!" Pietro exclaimed, slamming his hands on the table. "That makes even less sense!"

Pirro kicked him under the table. "You're so loud! We just have to build up an immunity to it by consuming little amounts at a time."

"That's right!" Kuondo said, finally catching on. "Like with the bad plants on Whale Island!"

"Well, at least I won't have to go to the trouble." Illuko added with an almost bored expression. "I'm immune to poison."

Kuondo rolled his eyes. "Alright, then, let's do it!"


	5. Chapter 5- Forest X Of X Criminals

"Will all the remaining Applicants please follow me off the train?" the Examiner from earlier called as he entered the room.

Kuondo and the others followed the Applicants outside. The first thing they saw was a thick forest blotted with a thick fog.

"This is Kiri Forest, a forest recognized for its natural traps and the criminals that hide out there. If those things don't get you, then getting lost in the fog is also a risk. You'll have twelve hours to cross to the marked area on the other side. You have two minutes to scatter."

Kuondo immediately took off, leading his friends into the forest. He had expirience with navigating thick forests, since he visited Whale Island every summer, but the fog made it more difficult.

He spent the next couple hours trotting through the brush, casting the occasional glance over his shoulder to make sure on of his friends didn't get lost or the occasional sigh of annoyance as an outstretched twig made another tear in his jacket.

"Hey, Pietro, you okay?" Pirro asked.

Pietro glared at him, his short-but-spiky dark hair dotted with leaves. "Yup. Just a big picnic back here."

Pirro rolled his eyes. "What about you, Illuko?"

"Eh, I guess I'm okay. This is really boring though. How long have we been running?"

Pirro thought for a moment. "Two hours. Maybe three."

"We still have plenty of time then." Kuondo said, before gasping and skidding to a halt, causing the other three to bump into him.

"What did you do that for?" Pietro snapped.

Kuondo silently pointed to the clearing in front of them.

There, a tall man with scars lining his arms was holding a boy in his mid teens with spiky, dark blue hair by the neck. The boy was trying to struggle out of the man's grip, but his attempts were in vain.

Standing near the man was a girl a little older than Kuondo. "Put him down!" she called, moving in for an attack, only to be knocked away again.

But she kept coming, again and again.

Suddenly, Pirro shoved past Kuondo, his fists balled tightly in anger. He quickly exited the brush. "Oi, you there! Leave them alone!"

"Idiot, what're you doing?!" Pietro whispered fiercely. "Don't go out there!"

The man turned to face Pirro with an icy glare. "And who are you, kid?"

"That doesn't matter! Let go of that Applicant!" Pirro demanded.

"Brat, don't you know that you shouldn't barge in on situations you have nothing to do with?"

"This idiot's gonna get us all killed!" Pietro muttered, and Kuondo had to agree.

 _Guess there's no point in hiding._

Kuondo stepped out of the brush, stopping beside Pirro. "Hey, you know this guy?"

"Yeah. He's Tetsuro the Bone-Crusher. He has a huge bounty. So this is where he holed up, eh? Guess it's time to test my abilities as a Blacklist Hunter!" Pirro said.

"Well, let's go then!" Kuondo replied, and the two charged.

Kuondo decided that the only way he could communicate with Pirro without Tetsuro catching on was to use the Kuruta language, which Pirro taught him.

 _Pirro, I'll distract him! Get the girl outta here!_

 _Got it!_

Kuondo pulled out his fishing pole and cast the line. The line wrapped around an overhead branch, and he leapt, swinging right towards Tetsuro.

Pirro quickly made his way over to the girl, picked her up, and made a run for it.

Once they were out of Tetsuro's sight, Pirro put her down. "You okay?"

"Yeah, but what about Aruko?"

"Don't worry, Kuondo and I will save him! The important thing is that you get out of here, okay?" Pirro replied, flashing a grin before he turned around and headed back in Kuondo's direction.

Pirro quickly returned to where Kuondo was fighting and immediately joined in, landing a kick from behind.

But Tetsuro recovered quicker than he had anticipated. He whirled around, and with a hard chop, struck Pirro's collarbone. Kuondo, startled, tried to jump back, but Tetsuro grabbed him by his spiky black hair and rammed his head into a nearby tree.

The last thing Kuondo felt was the splintering bark scraping his face before he blacked out.


	6. Chapter 6- Pirro's X Hidden X Asset

"Kuondo! Pirro!" Illuko and Pietro called, rushing out of their hiding place.

Illuko stopped beside the blonde, who winced, brushing his hand along his collarbone. "Hey, you okay?"

Pirro nodded. "I think so. It's just a bruise." He flinched. "A big bruise.." Then, he looked up to see Kuondo slumped over next to a tree, which was dotted with glistening drops of blood. "Kuondo!" He and Illuko rushed over to their fallen friend.

Pietro examined the raven-haired boy, letting out a sigh of relief. "It's okay. Just a minor concussion. He'll live."

Illuko looked relieved as well, but Pirro's expression was filled with rage, his eyes burning the brightest red the other two had ever seen from him. The blonde stood up, whirling around. "Who do you think you are?!" he demanded, "You could've killed him!"

"Ah, so that's why those patterns on your clothes looked familiar. You're from that Kuruta Clan, huh? I thought they died out thirty years ago. Well, it doesn't matter. That's a bright pair of scarlet eyes you have there. After I've finished killing all you brats, I'll take those with me. They'll make a fine addition to my collection of stolen valuables." Tetsuro said, smirking

Pirro pulled out his bokken and slowly started towards the criminal.

"But y'know, I would appreciate if you stayed still. It'd make things easier for me, y'know? So be a pal and don't take another step," he picked Aruko up by his messy azure hair, "or I'll crush this kid's head with my bare hands."

Pirro's expression faltered for only a moment, but he didn't stop. In fact, he started moving faster. He broke into a run, moving so fast his feet barely skimmed the wet grass below him. Right as he was upon Tetsuro, he disappeared, then reappeared behind him, landing a hard kick to the back of his head*.

Tetsuro recovered quickly, whirling around to counter, but Pirro had disappeared again.

When he reappeared again, he was under Tetsuro. He swiftly kicked the thief's legs out from under him. Aruko fell from Tetsuro's grip, landing with a hard thud.

Pirro stood up, finishing his attack with a hard punch to Tetsuro's face, and Tetsuro crashed to the ground, kicking up shreds of grass.

As he tried to stand again, Pirro slipped the wooden cover off of one of his bokken, revealing the sword underneath, and holding the tip to Tetsuro's neck. "To answer your question, yes, I am a Kuruta. Consider yourself lucky that this wasn't my father or Uncle Pairo, because if it were, you'd have been dead right now. Nonetheless, take this as a warning to _never_ touch my friends again, or I will kill you, not with this sword," he pricked Tetsuro's skin for emphasis, "but with my bare hands. Now get out of here."

Tetsuro cautiously got to his feet, backing away with slaughter in his eyes, until his silhouette faded into the mist.

Pirro turned to his friends, the scarlet fading from his eyes and his legs wobbling a bit from fatigue. "Hey, how's Kuondo?"

"He'll be awake in a few hours." Pietro reassured.

"I'm glad. If he doesn't wake up before time runs out…" Pirro's eyelids drooped sleepily, "give him a good… punch for me…" And with that, he passed out, exhausted from the use of his Scarlet Eyes.

* * *

Kuondo opened his heavy eyelids, his head throbbing and pounding in his ears. He reached up to touch it, but the second his fingerips touched the tender spot on the side of his head, a sharp pain stabbed through it. He hissed. _Better not do that again._

There was a cloth wrapped around his head in a makeshift bandage. _What happened, anyway?_

Wincing, he sat up.

Pietro, who had been shredding a stray leaf in boredom, caught sight of him and beamed. "I knew you'd be waking up soon!"

"What happened? How long was I out?"

"Tetsuro knocked you out. I think you've got a mild concussion. You were out for a couple hours."

Kuondo hummed in response, scanning the forest around him. Tetsuro and Aruko were gone without a trace. "What about…?"

"Oh, Aruko? He came to before you did and continued with the phase. As for Tetsuro, well… when he hurt you, Pirro got _really_ angry. He attacked him and threatened to kill him. Never seen him fight that way before."

Kuondo caught sight of Pirro, who was taking off the top part of his tabard, revealing an angry bruise on his collarbone.

Kuondo got up, shaking his head in an attempt to clear the dizziness, and went over to sit by Pirro. "Hey, you okay?"

Pirro pulled the collar of his shirt to the side and grimacing as he pressed the wet tabard to the bruise. Then, he sat back, nodding sadly.

"What's wrong, Pirro?"

Pirro looked up at him, his aquamarine eyes filled with emotion. "When Testuro hit you, my vision turned almost completely red. I had no control over my actions, even when Tetsuro threatened to kill Aruko if I moved."

"But he didn't kill Aruko, did he?"

Pirro looked away again and sighed. "I didn't care who I killed if they got in my way. I hate that feeling. I-If I hurt one of you guys…" he looked up at Kuondo, his eyes watering, "...I-I'd never forgive myself…" He trailed off as a few tears slipped down his face, looking back down at the ground.

Kuondo felt a pang of sympathy for his friend. "No, don't cry, Pirro! I think you did the right thing. In fact, I wish I'd been awake to see you give that guy a beatdown!"

Pirro turned his head slightly, reaching up to wipe his eyes. "Do you really mean that?"

"Cross my heart."

Pirro allowed a small smile to creep onto his face. "Well, I think we have a few hours left. Shall we get going?"

Kuondo grinned. "That's the spirit!"

* * *

(*A move Kurapika used on Uvogin)


	7. Chapter 7- Examiners X Using X Nen?

"Greetings, remaining Applicants," the same Examiner from the train said a couple hours after Kuondo and his friends made it through the forest. "I will now guide you to the next phase, and after that I'll be replaced with a new Examiner." He guided them to a wide river with multiple long boards laid across it like rungs on a ladder. "This river is one of the five major water sources in the Kiri Forest Region. You need to cross the river on one of the boards without falling to move on to the next phase."

"Maa, that's way too easy." Illuko whined.

"Hey, after all that running and fighting, I could use a break." Pietro interjected.

Kuondo couldn't help but agree. He stepped out onto one of the boards, testing its strength. It would hold him if he was careful.

As the boys were carefully crossing the boards, Kuondo noticed Pirro's face was contorted in discomfort. "Pirro, you okay?" He called over the rushing water.

Pirro nodded. "Yeah. Like I said, just a bruise."

Before Kuondo could reply, they were suddenly enveloped in a dark purple fog of Nen. A few cries of alarm filled the air, followed by a couple splashes as some Applicants fell off of their planks.

Kuondo shivered. _This Nen… it's so cold… is this Bloodlust?_

"Do not be alarmed, Applicants. This is merely a part of the Exam. If you can pass through this Nen, it must mean you've already learned it, and you will be allowed to move on to the final phase. If you cannot but stay where you are, you must still take the remaining phases. If you fall, you fail."

Kuondo grinned. _Yes!_ He took a deep breath as he let out his aura. Unlike the Bloodlust, it was warm. He slowly passed his arm through the purple Nen, which it did with ease. So he continued, still stepping cautiously to keep his balance.

Once he reached the other side, he saw that only ten of the Applicants knew Nen, including him. There was him and his friends, Aruko and the girl from before, and four adults.

Soon, they were joined by a new Examiner, who had dark hair and glasses. "Hello. I'm your Examiner for the final phase. If you would follow me…" he motioned for the ten Applicants to follow, which they did. Soon, they came to a tunnel, half-hidden by moss and vines. "Wait here. I'll be right back."

Once the Examiner left, Aruko went up to Pirro. "Hey, you're the girl from before, aren't you? The one who saved me?"

Pirro was taken aback. "Excuse you?!" Kuondo, Pietro, and Illuko struggled to contain their laughter. He turned to glare at them before looking back at Aruko, his embarrassed expression betraying his calm voice. "Uh, I think you're confused. I'm a boy."

The other boys cracked up.

"Ack! Sorry about that!" Aruko said quickly, holding up his hands. "A-ah, thanks for saving me earlier!"

Pirro laughed it off. "That's okay. It's happened before. You're welcome." he said dismissively.

"Honestly, how could you get confused with a boy as adorable as this one?" The girl who'd been with Aruko asked, going over to Pirro and placing a hand on his shoulder. "You really saved us back there. We owe you one. In case I didn't tell you before, my name's Lillian, but please, call me Lily."

Pirro blushed, averting his gaze. "Heheh, no problem… n-nice to meet you, Lily…"

"Pirro, your eyes." Kuondo said with a knowing smirk.

Pietro crossed his arms. "No fair! How come Pirro always gets the girls?" he asked in a low voice.

Illuko shrugged, wearing a catlike grin. "Nyeehee, natural charm, I guess."

Finally, the Examiner returned with ten shreds of cloth. "Alright, we're just about ready." He knelt, sitting the cloth down next to him. He motioned to Pirro. "Come here, kid."

Pirro nodded and approached the Examiner. The Examiner took hold of Pirro's shoulder to stay him and used the other hand to cover his eyes. Then, that hand was enveloped in a bright aura.

Pirro gasped and tried to pull away, but the Examiner's grip was too firm. The aura glowed brighter, and Kuondo's eyes widened as Pirro cried out.


	8. Chapter 8- Blind X As a X Bat

"Ouch! Hot, hot-hot-hot!" Pirro yelped as the Examiner finally let him go. Pirro stumbled backwards and falling into a sitting position, rubbing furiously at his eyes.

Kuondo ran over to him. "Pirro, are you okay?"

"Ah… y-yeah, I'm fine, Kuondo." Pirro replied weakly, still not opening his eyes.

Kuondo glared up at the Examiner. "Hey, what's the deal?"

"Yeah!" Pietro growled. "What'd you do to him?"

The examiner held up his hands. "Calm down, calm down. Your friend here will be perfectly fine. I only temporarily blinded him for the next part of the Exam. You see, this tunnel will take you at least a good few hours to get through, and you have to get through it without your sight."

"Oh, I get it now." Kuondo said, nodding. He put a hand on Pirro's shoulder. "Does it still hurt, Pirro?"

"It stings a little, but I'll be fine." Pirro replied.

"Okay." He turned to the Examiner. "Go ahead. You can do it on me, next." He knelt in front of the Examiner, who placed a steadying hand on Kuondo's shoulder and put his hand across Kuondo's eyes. At first, Kuondo heard humming, and his eyes felt warm. But then, even though his eyes were shut, he saw a dazzling bright light burst forth and all at once it seemed his eyes were on fire. He hissed with pain.

When the Examiner let go of him, he stepped back a bit shaky, trying to shake the disorientation away. After ten seconds, the light faded, but the pain still ebbed behind his eyes like a migraine.

"Alright. You and Pirro may go down the first route whenever you're ready." The Examiner said.

Kuondo and Pirro slowly made their way to the tunnel on the far end of the wall. Kuondo decided to start up a conversation to lighten the mood once they gained speed. "Aren't you glad Uncle Pairo gave us that blindfold training? We'd be a mess without that!"

"Yeah, he'd pass this phase no sweat."

"What about that Lily girl, huh?" Kuondo teased.

"Oh…" Pirro mumbled, embarrassed. "She was nice..."

"And pretty, too?"

"Mm-hmm…"

Kuondo rubbed his nose a couple of times with his thumb and sniffed the air. "I can smell the other side of the tunnel, but it's faint. It'll take us about six hours to get there, but I don't think our blindness. will wear off for a good long while." As they took a few more steps, he could hear a strange noise in tune with Pirro's footsteps. It was like… scraping? Tetsuro must've hit Pirro harder than he thought. In fact, Pirro might have a broken bone somewhere. _And my head is killing me…_

"Hey, Pirro, how long have we been running?"

"About an hour."

"Then what do you say we sit down for a while and sleep? Besides being unconscious, we haven't slept once since the Exam started over a day ago."

Pirro hesitated, then spoke. "Alright. I guess we could sleep for an hour or two."

* * *

"Kurapika?"

"Mm?"

"Are you awake?"

Kurapika turned over. "Mm-hmm. Do you feel better, dearest?"

"Yes."

"That's good to hear. What's on your mind?"

Lyra hesitated. "Are you worried about Pirro? I know he's only been gone for a day, but…"

Kurapika sighed. "Of course I am. He _is_ only eleven years old, but still, I believe that he has the potential to pass." He paused, seeing Lyra's saddened expression. "You really miss him too, don't you?"

"Well, I wish I would've taken the test before he left… he would've been so happy…"

Kurapika arched an eyebrow. "Test?" Suddenly, his eyes widened in realization. " _Th-that_ test?"

Lyra grinned back at him, nodding. "It'd be hard for Pirro to repopulate the Kuruta Clan all by himself, wouldn't it?"

Kurapika's shocked expression soon shifted into a smile. "I-I don't know what to say..." he whispered, pulling her closer to him. His hand slowly moved down to her stomach as he stroked it in tender, gentle circles. "So there's another Kuruta coming, then?" he said softly.

* * *

"How long will you be gone?" Alluka sighed.

"Not long. A week or less." Gon replied simply. "Alluka, don't worry, I'll be-"

"How come it seems that when Kuondo's gone, you always want to leave, too?"

"No, Alluka, that's not it at all! It's just that Killua needs me to look into this with him because Kurapika called in that he wouldn't be attending missions for a while." He stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. It won't be like last time."

Alluka sighed again, looking up into his amber eyes. "Promise?"

"I promise."

* * *

Kuondo's eyes opened to the strange sensation on his face. His hands and legs, too… He barely stopped himself from bolting upright when he noticed the sensations were tiny footsteps. And judging by how many footsteps he felt at a time, these were many-legged creatures. Spiders.

He could sense that Pirro was awake next to him, but he wasn't moving. _That's right,_ Kuondo realized, _He's probably frozen with fear._

 _If my memory serves me correctly, Pirro is more scared of spiders than death itself._


End file.
